Oil Prices Hold Above $100 as Trump-Xi Meeting and Iran Conflict Keep Markets on Edge 
BOJ Holds Interest Rates at 0.75% as Policymakers Signal Growing Inflation Concerns 
South Korea Central Bank Signals Cautious Policy Amid Inflation and Middle East Tensions 
S&P Global Revises Mexico Credit Outlook to Negative Amid Rising Debt Concerns 
Trump Faces Uphill Battle Seeking China’s Help on Iran Conflict 
Bank of Korea Signals Potential Interest Rate Hikes as Inflation Remains Elevated 
ECB Signals Possible Interest Rate Move if Inflation Outlook Fails to Improve 
Wall Street Futures Rise Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit as Tech Stocks Lead Market Rally 
US-China Trade Talks Begin in South Korea Ahead of Trump-Xi Beijing Summit 
The Bank of Thailand (BoT) is expected to keep its policy rate on hold at 1.75 percent at its meeting on March 20 even though concerns of financial stability are likely to persist, according to the latest report from ANZ Research.
On a sequential basis, headline CPI rose by 0.24 percent m/m in February, following a 0.02 percent decline the month before. The turnaround was driven by higher energy prices (+1.67 percent from -1.47 percent). While raw food prices continued to rise, the pace of increase in m/m terms slowed.
Meanwhile, core inflation surprised to the downside and eased to a 13-month low of 0.60 percent y/y. In m/m terms, core CPI declined marginally (0.02 percent). Although the prices of clothing and footwear rose at a faster pace, the decline in personal and medical care prices (0.15 percent m/m) was a drag.
Housing, recreation and education as well as tobacco and alcoholic beverage prices were broadly flat m/m.
